Cram Session

"Fine, fine... I won't interrupt your flirting plans." Belle waved a hand and headed for the third floor. "I just have to keep the 'tour group' company, right?"

"What? That's not what this is!" Wise protested as he watched Belle go upstairs.

Just then, muffled voices came from outside. The door opened, and Ellen came in first.

The shark girl had her hands in her pockets and a lollipop in her mouth. Her expression said, I was dragged here.

Ruby, Mona, and Rin followed her in.

The three peered around the shop. When they didn't see the person they were looking for, disappointment showed on their faces.

"Hi, Manager Wise!" Ruby greeted him first, then asked brightly, "Is Griseo here?"

"Not back yet." Wise smiled and pointed toward the stairs. "But her studio's open upstairs. You can go have a look. Belle's waiting for you."

"Yay!" Ruby grabbed Mona and ran for the stairs. Rin followed at her own pace, patting Ellen on the shoulder as she passed.

"Good luck."

Ellen expressionlessly brushed Rin's hand away. Wise came out from behind the counter, pulled up a chair, and sat across from Ellen.

"Ellen, could I see your test paper first?"

"Go ahead, Manager Wise... Just don't get your hopes up."

Ellen sighed helplessly, took the lollipop out of her mouth, and dug the paper out of her schoolbag. Then she stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Have some confidence in yourself, Ellen!"

Wise said it as he took the paper. But the moment he looked at it, everything changed.

Holding back a laugh, Wise examined the questions and asked Ellen, "'Love has left its regrets since ancient times.' What comes next...?"

"'And this regret goes on forever!' See, Manager Wise? It rhymes!" Ellen muttered.

"Uh, Ellen, that's clever, but it isn't worth any points. Maybe watch fewer martial arts movies."

Wise rubbed his forehead awkwardly. This answer was probably the result of all those tapes Ellen had rented.

"The correct answer is, 'The sweetest dreams are always the easiest to wake from.'"

A quick aside: this example came from real life.

"Love has left its regrets since ancient times, and this regret goes on forever" is a mistaken pairing of two lines. Its widespread popularity came from a Journey to the West spinoff.

The second line was spoken by the second disciple in the episode "A Thousand Lifetimes of Love's Trials: Zhu Bajie."

"Oh. They seem the same to me?" Ellen shrugged and leaned lazily against her chair, hugging her big tail with an innocent look.

"All right, next question."

Wise took a deep breath and looked farther down the page. His smile began to crack.

Ellen's answers weren't so much serious attempts as a collection of absurd mistakes.

For instance, after "I left home young and returned an old man," Ellen had written, "How can you tell if I'm male or female?"

Ellen explained casually, "Maybe he went to Chengdu when he left. It's only natural people wouldn't recognize him when he came back, right?"

Then there was: "If life could stay as it was at first sight, I'd like a bowl of braised beef noodles."

But this one was the classic...

For the line after "There's a road to heaven, but you won't take it," Ellen's answer was, "The sea of learning has no shore; hard work is your boat."

Wise read through the whole paper, then looked up at Ellen. His gaze held three parts shock, three parts confusion, and four parts admiration.

Even Fairy probably couldn't have come up with Ellen's answers!

Wise's stare made Ellen squirm. The last of her stubbornness made her sit up straight, rolling the lollipop around in her mouth.

"Manager Wise, if it's too much, forget it. You don't have to force yourself. I can handle the retake."

"Yeah, big brother—can you actually do this?"

Belle's voice came from the stairs. She had her phone in hand; Anton had just said he was almost at the shop.

"Little sis, you don't believe in your brother? Just wait! With my tutoring, Ellen's retake score is definitely going up!"

Ellen put the lollipop back in her mouth and sank into the chair again, hugging her tail and staring vacantly at the ceiling.

Then she let out a long sigh.

"Sigh..."

"Why do we even have exams? Why can't schools just give me my diploma?"

She paused, then added, "I'd rather stay home every day, eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, and only play on my phone for twelve hours a day... than study."

Leaning against the stair railing, Belle laughed. "All right, good luck, big brother. I'm going to get Griseo and Eous."

Belle opened the shop door. A Belobog Heavy Industries vehicle had stopped outside, and Anton pulled open the passenger door like an eager underling.

"Boss, we're at the video store."

"Thank you, Uncle Anton." Griseo hopped out holding Eous and spotted Belle at the door.

"Manager Belle, delivered safe and sound! Not a hair missing!"

Belle almost laughed at Anton's attitude. Griseo's move must have left quite an impression on him.

"Thanks for the effort, Anton. Want to come in for some water?" Belle asked politely.

"No, thanks!" Anton climbed back into the driver's seat and slammed the door. "We still have to find the third machine! See you!"

"Sure. Keep in touch. Phaethon's ready whenever you need her!" Belle nodded and watched the vehicle disappear around a corner of Sixth Street.

"Come on, Little Painter. You've got another customer." Belle took Eous from Griseo's arms and turned toward the shop.

"Okay, Belle!"

Griseo nodded obediently. The moment she followed Belle inside, a sorrowful "color" washed over her.

Griseo looked up. Wise had brought out a whiteboard and was scribbling furiously on it, muttering as he wrote.

Ellen was sprawled in her chair, tail trailing on the floor, lollipop in her mouth and eyes unfocused. She looked like a beached shark.

At the sound of the door, Wise turned and offered a brief greeting. "Welcome back."

"Mm." Griseo nodded. She looked at the whiteboard covered in writing, then at Ellen slumped in her chair, and tilted her head.

"Wise, what are you doing?"

"Tutoring Ellen." Wise wiped the sweat from his forehead. Clearly, it was taking some effort.

"Ellen, is school... really that hard?" Griseo asked, puzzled.

"Little Griseo, don't you have to go to school?" Ellen asked back, managing to sit up.

"No! Belle said I didn't pass the entrance exam, so I don't have to go." Griseo nodded.

"Lucky you. Remember this, Griseo! School is second only to the Hollows in danger. Never go—ow!"

Ellen had just begun to explain the horrors of school to Griseo.

Belle lightly chopped Ellen on the head with her hand and said sternly, "Don't teach Griseo bad habits, Ellen. Your priority right now is studying."

"Can I refuse?" Ellen slumped back into her chair and sighed from the depths of her soul.

"Nope..." Belle crossed her arms in an X, then took Griseo upstairs.

"Good luck, Ellen!" Griseo added softly before leaving.